Huila, Colombia 72%

Ingredients: Cacao, organic cane sugar

WHAT WE’RE TASTING IN THIS BAR:
Roasted pecan · Vanilla bean · Caramel · Smooth cacao

2026 International Chocolate Awards Grand Jury Finalist — Americas–USA

Big notes of vanilla bean, caramel, and roasted pecans make this one of our favorite single origins, and our most approachable — and satisfying — dark chocolates.

The full story: We made the first batch of this chocolate for folks in the Chocolate Club back in November 2025. For that first round, we only had about 10 pounds, just barely enough to make a bar for everyone in the Club. We loved it, they loved it, and now it’s back — officially part of our single-origin lineup.

This delicious and unique cacao grows in Huila, southern Colombia, and is fermented and dried at La Cueva del Oso, or “The Bear Cave,” by our friends at Osito Coffee and Cacao. Huila has deep roots in Colombian cacao, and Osito’s new fermentory there is helping bring exceptional cacao from the region back into focus through long-term relationships with smallholder growers and careful post-harvest processing.

But what has us really excited is the flavor.

We were privileged to work with the Osito team to taste & evaluate early samples and were immediately struck by the cacao’s roasted nuttiness, natural sweetness, and remarkably smooth, almost creamy character. Vanilla bean and caramel come through clearly, with a deep chocolate base that makes the whole bar feel rich and satisfying without feeling heavy.

Made with just cacao and organic cane sugar, all of those pecan, vanilla, caramel, and chocolate notes are coming from the cacao itself.

And we were absolutely thrilled to see the judges agree. Our Huila 72% was named a 2026 International Chocolate Awards Grand Jury Finalist in the Americas–USA Bean-to-Bar and Craft Chocolatier Competition, earning a score of 84.98 in the Micro-Batch Plain/Origin Dark Chocolate category.

We hope to make it down to Huila in the coming year to visit La Cueva del Oso and see the place and meet the people behind this chocolate for ourselves!

Want to go deeper on the origin? Read our conversation with Osito co-founder Kyle Bellinger about Huila, the latest cacao harvest, the region’s cacao history, and the work happening at La Cueva del Oso.